West Bengal govt, police get an earful from SC over Kolkata rape-murder case

Terming the case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as horrific, the apex court came down heavily on the government over delay in filing FIR in matter

New Delhi: Terming the rape and murder case of a medic at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as horrific, the Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the West Bengal government over delay in filing FIR in the matter.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding safety of doctor across India. A Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.

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The top court slammed the West Bengal government over delay in filing FIR in the rape-murder case, and asked what were hospital authorities doing. “It appears crime was detected in early hours, medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide,” the Bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra observed.

The Bench rapped the Kolkata Police and asked how a mob of thousands entered the RG Kar Medical College. When the conduct of the RG Kar Hospital’s principal was under scrutiny, how was he appointed to another college immediately, it asked.

The top court said the power of the West Bengal government should not be unleashed on protestors as its time of national catharsis. The apex court said most young doctors are putting in 36 hours of work and there was a need to evolve national protocol to ensure safe conditions at workplace.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said West Bengal should not be in denial mode and there was a complete failure of law and order in state. He said a mob of 7,000 people cannot enter the hospital without knowledge of the Kolkata Police.

The suo motu cognisance of the case, titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue,” assumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The doctors’ strike over the rape and murder of the medic completed a week on Sunday and is now entering its second week, causing difficulties for patients. The protesting doctors want the CBI to catch the culprits and for the court to impose the maximum punishment on them. They also want an assurance from the government that “no such incidents occurs in the future”.

The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests. The medic’s body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.

On August 13, Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14. The high court ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions, including one moved by the victim’s parents praying for a court-monitored probe.